Spammers face €250,000 fine

COMPANIES that send unsolicited emails and text messages are now liable for fines of up to 250,000 or could lose 10% of their turnover.

A new regulation has been introduced by Eamon Ryan, the communications minister, making the sending of spam an indictable offence in Ireland for the first time. Previously offenders were prosecuted in the District Court where the maximum fine was 3,000.

While most email spam received by Irish people comes from outside the country, the ministerial directive strengthens the power of the authorities to crack down on the growing problem of unsolicited text messages being sent from within the Republic.

The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) received 390 complaints last year about "spam", chiefly unsolicited text messages. In 2005, there were only 66 complaints. Tony Delaney, assistant commissioner, said the legislation was an "important new weapon" in the war on spam.